


It Must Be Tuesday

by MalcolmInSpace



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-20
Updated: 2015-03-20
Packaged: 2018-03-18 19:11:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3580734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MalcolmInSpace/pseuds/MalcolmInSpace
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Obi-Wan has been kidnapped again and Windu is left to find him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It Must Be Tuesday

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Elenothar](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elenothar/gifts).



> Prompt: Obi-Wan gets kidnapped by baddie of the week. ALL of the Jedi are unhappy about this and, after squabbling about who gets to go, mount a rescue mission.

“And when was the last time you saw General Kenobi?” Master Mace Windu asked, a certain lack of Jedi dispassion colouring his voice.

“Twelve hours ago,” the knee-high hologram of Commander Cody responded. “We lost contact as his party entered the underground complex. Our scouts have found evidence of a firefight, but there is no sign of the General or the squad that was with him.”

“Could he still be underground somewhere, out of contact?”

“It’s possible, sir, but some locals told us they saw a Separatist transport leaving the area six hours ago, and they described droids like Grievous’ personal guard.” Cody paused, then, “Sir, we would go after him ourselves but we are too deeply committed to spare the clones.” Indeed, the sounds of battle leaked through the transmission as deceptively innocuous pops and crackling.

Windu rubbed one hand across his jaw. He looked around the Council Chamber, and saw his own feelings mirrored on the faces of the other Masters. “Very well, Commander, we will send someone to investigate. Keep us updated on the battle, and send any news of the General you might hear.”

“Yes, sir.” Cody sketched a salute and the hologram dissolved into fuzz and disappeared.

There was a long silence, until Yoda spoke. “Obi-Wan, kidnapped. Involved, Grievous is. Something in motion, there must be.” Another silence, then, “Tuesday, it must be.”

Windu laughed, despite himself, and a few others chuckled. Luminara looked annoyed. “The kidnapping of any Jedi, much less a council member, is not a laughing matter.”

“Of course we don’t take it lightly, Master Unduli. But you must admit this situations does crop up rather frequently.” Luminara nodded reluctantly and said no more. “So who do we send? Obi-Wan has usually extricated himself by the time help arrives, anyways.”

“What about Skywalker and Tango?” Ki-Adi-Mundi suggested.

“No,” Windu replied, shaking his head. “The 501st’s mission is too important to spare them.”

“Involved, they usually become. A choice, they may not give us.”

“Then nobody tell them. What about you, Master Moon?”

The holographic projection of Master Plo Koon shook his head. “I am in hyperspace, travelling in the opposite direction.”

Master Kit Fisto was also present via HoloNet. Windu was suddenly struck with the notion that the High Council was half-filled with ghosts, and a shiver ran down his spine. A portent? A hint from the Force? He dismissed the notion until he met Master Yoda’s eyes and saw his own foreboding echoed there. “...do I am too far away,” Fisto was saying, and Windu dragged his attention back to the here and now. “I could not reach Kenobi’s location before the trail went cold.”

Windu sighed once more and gripped the arms of his chair. “Very well. I will go find Master Kenobi before he and Grievous get too busy enacting the next chapter of their feud. I just hope for Skywalker’s sake I don’t find him and that Padawan of his already there.”

“Be there they will be, if the will of the Force it is.”

——————————

The mottled, hypnotizing tunnel of hyperspace became impossibly stretched lines of light and then a starfield, still and deep. Windu exhaled one slow breath as he left his mediation trace and gripped the controls. There was only one significant planet in this system, a cracked and dry rock that had never played host to savoury dealings in its entire history. It was a quiet system the suspect Confederate transport had travelled to, with little-

The fighter’s sensors pinged, and Windu’s R2 whistled and hooted in its cradle. There was a space battle underway in high orbit over the planet. Because of course there was. A Republic cruiser was hotly engaged with two Separatist ships and appearing to get the better of them.

“Unidentified ship,” came a crisp, disciplined voice on the general frequency, “this is the Republic cruiser _Resolute._ Please identify, and be aware that this system is under dispute.”

The _Resolute_? That was... “Skywalker.” Windu sucked in a breath. “ _Resolute_ , this is Jedi Master Mace Windu. I’m setting an intercept course.”

There was a non-regulation pause from the other end, just long enough for a surprised subordinate to pass news up the chain. “Acknowledged, Master Windu. You are cleared for the starboard hanger bay, and we are diverting a squadron to escort you through the engagement zone. General Skywalker sends his greetings.”

“I’ll just bet he does.”

The engagement zone was the strobing hell of turbolaser fire and wreckage that Windu had become too familiar with, and in which, he mused, other members of the Order felt a little too comfortable. In the distance, one of the Separatist ships was on fire and falling away while the other was burning hard – running to get out of the planet’s mass shadow and into hyperspace, he realized. The _Resolute_ was ignoring the first ship, aside from some desultory broadside fire.

Commander Rex met him at the docking bay with a crisp salute and an honour guard amidst the hectic chaos of a fighter deck in battle. “Welcome aboard the _Resolute_ , sir. It is an honour to have you aboard. General Skywalker and Commander Tano are on the bridge.”

“What is the 501st doing here,” Windu asked as they rode the turbolift up. “I understood you were engaged several systems away.”

“Well, sir, we were, and, uh...”

Windu felt the clone’s inner conflict and waved the question away. “Perhaps I will save my questions for General Skywalker.”

“As you wish, sir.”

Skywalker was standing before the broad windows of the bridge, spine straight and hands clasped behind him. Windu could feel satisfaction and a fierce pride in his legion rolling off the young Jedi. He turned and smiled broadly. “Master Windu! I’ve no idea why you’re here, but you’re just in time to witness the end of General Grievous.” He pointed out to the Separatist ship straining to escape. It was haloed in explosions and the bright blotches of turbolaser fire hammering into deflector shields. Whatever fighter escort it had had was gone, and Republic fighters buzzed around it like angry wasps.

Despite himself, Windu felt his heart thrill. “Truly, Grievous is aboard that ship?”

“Oh yes.” Skywalker’s grin was savage. “And there’s no way he’ll make it to hyperspace before se cripple his engines. No escape this time, General.” Skywalker dwelled on that happy future for a moment, then turned to Windu. “So, Master, what brings you out to the Rim?”

It occurred to Windu that he was seeing Skywalker in his natural element, perhaps even more than on the battlefield or in the cockpit. The bridge of a great warship, commanding fury and metal enough to topple worlds. It was a disquieting thought. “I could ask you the same question. The Council thought you were hotly engaged parses away.”

“We were! Until Snips, ah, Padawan Tano and a platoon infiltrated the enemy lines and took out their central command. They routed and we pursued.”

“Of course. I’m here looking for Master Obi-Wan. He was reported missing by Commander Cody, kidnapped by Grievous.”

“Well,” Kenobi said as he exited the turbolift, trailed by Tano and a few somewhat battered clones not wearing 501st colours. “Cody really must learn not to worry.”

Windu ground his teeth. “Master Kenobi.”

“Hello, Master Windup. Sorry you came all this way for nothing. We stowed away aboard Grievous’ transport, and we called in Anakin to trap him when we realized this was his destination. And now...”

“General Skywalker! The other ship!” The sensor officer sounded like he was throttling panic. Sure enough, the supposedly crippled ship had gotten its engines back online and was...

“They’re moving to block our line of fire. Damn it!” Windu could feel the rage bubbling around Skywalker. “Divert all power from shields to engines. Don’t let them escape!”

It was too late. The _Resolute_ surged ahead even as the crippled ship broke apart, but it was too late. Grievous’ ship seemed to stretch impossibly and then was gone. There was a long silence before Tano ventured, “I’m sure we’ll get him next week, Master.”

“Yes, of course.” Skywalker straightened and the anger bled away. “Well, Master Windu. I appreciate you coming all this way for nothing. And please rest assured that if you ever need my aid, you will have it!”


End file.
